Prequel to Surprise
by twin15
Summary: One shot. My version on Kims thoughts and the events leading up to The Letter.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.

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Kim stood high on the balance beam trying to concentrate, but it was wavering. She had called Tommy multiple times but had received no answer. He was probably saving the world. This only made her apprehension worse. There wasn't anything that could worry or upset her more. Where was he, was he alright, what was going on?

That's when she missed a step.

"Kimberly pay attention!" her coach demanded.

"Sorry." Kim said and began her routine again. She rehearsed it over in her mind. 'Concentrate' she repeated to herself trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

To be in this competition it had to be your life. It was to be what you wanted the most. Every breath you took was solely for gymnastics. Day in and day out, was gymnastics. Kimberly almost wondered why they bothered with sleeping quarters when you were at the gym all the time. The adjustment had been major. She had gone from juggling saving the world, school, homework, a social life, and gymnastics to putting all her energy in concentrating on gymnastics. She loved it but there was something she loved more… and maybe that was why she was struggling.

She missed a step.

"Kimberly! That is the second time. We can not have mistakes. It must be perfect! You know this. What is on your mind?" Her coach asked frustrated.

'Home' is what came to mind but she knew better than to say that.

"Kimberly you are my best student by far. All the girls look up to you. They want to be you. You have so much potential and you are throwing it away!"

"I'm sorry." Kim said hanging her head.

"Don't apologize. Just get it right." He coach said.

Kimberly began her routine again.

'Concentrate." She schooled herself imaging her goal. A flashback brought her back to the day she had fallen from the beam. Her vision blurred and she wavered and then the feeling was gone. She remember Kat then. She pushed off the beam doing a flip.

"That's better." Her coach said but Kimberly didn't here him.

Kat had saved her and know she was saving the world with Tommy. She was here and Kat was there.

She missed her next move.

"That's it Kim! You need a breather. You need to figure out what your priorities are. You need to focus." He said harsley.

"I'm sorry. Let me try again. I'll get it right I promise." Kim pleaded near tears.

"No. We are stopping for today. Be ready for tomorrow or head home Kimberly. We can't afford off days, do you understand?" He asked.

Kimberly nodded grimly meeting his gaze.

Her coach left and Kimberly grabbed her bag angrily.

"Ah… the princess is having a bad day." A girl, Vanessa, laughed as she past.

"Back off." Kimberly growled. When she had first joined the team it had been extremely hard to fit in. She was late coming in and the coach had been proud of his 'best student' and 'real natural' she was. Kim had loved the praise but that was also what alienated her from the other girls. They hated her success.

"What? Not so perfect are you? More of this and it looks like Coach will send you home permanently."

"That's what he did to Susie last year." Another girl said bobbing her head vigorously.

"Wouldn't you like that." Kimberly said sourly.

"I would, matter of fact. Why don't you just save us the time and just go home. This isn't the place for fragile girls." The girls said looking at Kim's tears.

"I'm not fragile." Kim said angrily and standing up straight, "I'm stronger than you'll ever be."

"Are you strong enough to finish that routine? Are you strong enough to keep this going? Strong enough to hold onto you precious Tommy when he's probably already run off with Kat?"

Kim looked at her shocked.

"Yes Kim. Everyone knows about your Tommy issues. I remember seeing that picture you have in your room of all your friends and Kim your _nothing_ compared to her."

"How _dare_ you!" Kim said tightening her grip on her bag.

"I only dare when I know that it's true." She said smirking.

"Tommy loves me. He would never cheat on me." Kim said.

"Yeah and I'm sure that's why you can't get in touch with him right? He's obviously avoiding you."

Kim looked at her sternly wanting to throw her bag down and teach her a lesson on how tough she was but she held back.

"Nothing to say to that? I wonder how the new Beautiful feels?"

Kim's lower lip quivered and she ran away unable to hold her tears.

"It only gets worse." The Vanessa called after her.

Kim got to her room and threw her bag on her the floor and slammed the door shut. She had no idea what she was talking about. She's was Tommy's beautiful and no one else would ever be that. Her roommate looked up from her bed and over at Kim.

"Wow…. What happened?" The girl, Lindsay, asked.

Kim spilled out the story to her. Tears running down her face and her anger and hurt splitting her voice.

"You know they are right."

"What? How can you say the sniveling thing is right!?!?!" Kim asked turning on her.

"One: Tommy _never_ answers his phone. I'm sure he's a busy guy but he's defiantly not boyfriend material in a long distance relationship. Two: You can't screw up you only get one chance at this. So do it right. Three: You're here and that's where your mind needs to be not there, back at Angel Grove."

"And give her what she wants? I'll never give up Tommy but I'm certainly not going home! She's just jealous. She wants a boyfriend and she wants to be as good as me. She wants me to do poorly and be boyfriend-less."

"But what about this other girl? Can you trust her?"

"She was a good friend. She saved my life once. I trust her. And I trust Tommy as well. He would never cheat on me with her."

"Even though you know she likes him?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter. Our love is strong." Kim said fiercely.

"You do realize you are only in your teens." She asked.

"So?"

"You actually expect him to wait until your done with competing? He's a teenage boy for one and he's just not going to wait. You need to face to truth."

"Why would you say that? You don't even know him."Kim said in disbelief and hurt.

"No offense Kim. But we all got things on our minds. And honestly no one wants to hear about Angel Grove and how great everyone is back there. Do you see anyone here who talks about home? No, You don't. We've got enough drama here, between ourselves. You don't want to here about your soap opera back home. Me and the other girls… we've sacrificed home and we aren't half as good as you. And here you are complaining. Get over yourself."

"I'll never give up home. Never." Kim said.

"You need to concentrate. You want this, I know you do. But Angel Grove and Tommy is only getting in the way."

"I thought you were my friend." Kim said dumbstruck.

"Tough love Kim, tough love." She said leaving the room.

Kim stood there shocked. What did she know anyways? She knew nothing about her and Tommy. She hated how she felt like she could turn to no one. The girls couldn't understand life back home and Angel Grove could understand what life was like here in Florida. But they couldn't be right. They just couldn't be.

Kim picked up the phone and dialed Tommy's number.

"Come on Tommy… I need you right now." Kim said laying down on her bed and closing her eyes. The endless ringing continued and she hung up.

She dialed another number.

"Aysha? It's me." Kim said.

"Hey girl! What's up? Shouldn't you be practicing?"

"You aren't saving the world?" Kim asked some what worried.

"Well I hope not." She answered laughing.

"Do you know where Tommy is?" She asked.

"Well… yeah. He is over at Kate's house. They are doing some project or something."

There was a silence.

"Kim?"

"I've got to go… Sorry." Kim said hanging up.

Kim closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks. It wasn't that she thought Tommy was cheating on her. And she shouldn't be upset over some stupid project. But the point was, was that she was here and Tommy was with Kat. They were spending time together, creating and sharing memories together. What memories could she and Tommy share except the past? What if they were being childish when they said that they could make this work? It wasn't working. Their conversations and letters had gotten shorter and more general. They barely talked at all. And usually late at night when they were both tired and exhausted.

But she loved Tommy, more than anything. She didn't want to break up with him. They were perfect for each other. There was no one else who could be like Tommy.

But life was just… more and more complicated. Her coach was at his wits end with her. All the girls practically hated her. She felt alone here. For being such a great gymnast she sure didn't feel like something spectacular. She had known it would be hard moving to Florida and she had done her best to make it work. But the point was it was like Hell. It was grueling, long work that never ended. At the end of the day she wanted her friends to sit together and share thoughts. To help, encourage, support each other. She didn't find that here. She wished she could go to Zordon and ask him. But maybe even he had no answer for this. How could she make this work? She could live like this any more. Suspended between who she was and who she was meant to be. She didn't want to be alone like this craving for home. All day she just wanted Tommy there beside her smiling at her. She wanted to look into those dark brown pools and see her love reflected in them. She wanted to fall into his arms and hold him close and never let go. She wanted to kiss him, sealing a promise to never leave, a promise that everything was going to be alright in the end. But that wasn't going to happen. They both needed something else. They both need the freedom to do what their lives demanded.

Trembling she wiped her tears from her face and grabbed a pen and paper.

_Dear Tommy…._ Kimberly began.

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(A/N: So what did you think? I'd love to hear your comments.) 


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